Crossroads
by Sirenas
Summary: "They say these are the best times of your life, right?" Follow the journey of the Pokeani cast through their experiences involving roommate shenanigans, major decisions, developing everlasting friendships and romance. (College/University AU - Pokeani Cast - Pokeshipping & various ships)
1. Prologue

**Crossroads - Prologue**

Today was the big day. A young redhead sat in the backseat of a limo, hoping she'd arrive sooner than later. The drive to her university was taking much longer than expected because of her sisters' status. Flashes of light occurred every other minute to her exasperation. Fans constantly screamed and surrounded the car, causing the limo to drive at a snail-like pace.

Misty's sisters paid no attention. They were carrying on a normal conversation as if nothing was happening outside. On occasion, one of the them would lower their window and wink to their fans. If they felt adventurous, they would open the sunroof to smile and wave. Misty's sisters loved the attention.

 _'How could anyone stand the spotlight?'_ she mused to herself. She glanced over at each of her sisters, knowing today would be the last day she'd see them on a daily basis for a long time.

Violet was now busy chatting on the phone with her manager. In recent times, she hinted to becoming an actress. With her popularity and very wide connections, Misty figured it would make an easy progression. She recalled her speaking passionately on becoming a script writer long ago and would write short plays when they were much younger.

Lily, the pink-haired sister, was busy browsing through her phone. She often had a bored expression when away from the spotlight. Out of the three, she was the social media queen with millions of followers. Misty didn't like to admit she was talented at photo-shoots and commercials. Lily was often cold to her; Misty no longer cared to know the reason.

Daisy was the eldest of all the sisters but her looks did not suggest that. She followed a rigorous schedule consisting of working out and was in training for a singing career. Spa treatments are her religion. She was currently applying red lipstick along with a layer of lip gloss. She was determined to create her looks herself. "What are you thinking about, Misty?"

The youngest sister blinked, surprised to be getting a little attention. "Oh, nothing much."

"Really? Do you expect me to believe that?" Daisy put away her cosmetics and sat closer. Her eyes showed concern. "I can't believe you're still going through with this. You're not like us, aren't you?"

"She's always been the weird one," Lily added with a snicker, not taking her eyes off her phone.

Misty rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to miss you."

"I don't expect you to, sis. If anything, it'll be nice not to have an unflattering distraction for a while."

"Speak for yourself."

"Hey, can you all keep it down? I'm having an important conversation," Violet snipped.

 _'The sooner we get there, the better,'_ Misty thought to herself, folding her arms and sinking in her seat unbeknownst to her sisters.

* * *

"Finally. Ugh, I need to stretch my legs," Lily muttered before jumping out of the limo. Paparazzi wasted no time to flash photos of the sensational sister. Lily gleefully posed for every picture and made sure people got her good side. It didn't take long before security guards interfered and eventually escorted the sisters to Misty's dorm building.

"You're going to live in _that_?" Violet gasped, pointing.

The dorm building looked somewhat recent but it was absolutely not a new building. Its color was white but it was already starting to fade into a mixture of light yellow and green. Students paced quickly by them, gasping at the sight of the sisters and some waved to them. Lily blew a kiss.

"Move along, folks! You're still being timed!" the resident adviser warned the students. He then turned to the sisters and his face reddened. "I, uh… welcome! Wow, you three are more beautiful in person!"

"Thank you kindly," Daisy replied in a poised manner. She turned to Misty. "Alright, this is where we part, sis. William will assist you with your things. Good luck."

"See ya."

"Bye."

Misty was about to respond until realizing the three had already stepped into the limo. The windows were black but she could tell they were already doing something else.

"You have ten minutes. I usually give people seven to unload but your sisters are so pretty."

"How considerate," Misty commented before quickly walking to the back of the car and unloaded her items. "Thank you for the help, William."

"Of course, Miss Waterflower. You will be missed."

Before she knew it, those ten minutes breezed by and the limo was gone. Misty was a light packer with only a few boxes of items. She figured she could buy the remaining items; she was grateful for their wealth. Her sisters were correct to be concerned. They had discussed her going to private universities the world had to offer. Tuition was certainly no issue and neither was location. She had been accepted to a handful of places and yet, there was something about this particular university that caught Misty's attention. She figured it was the vibe it gave to her from a past campus tour. It was large enough for her to feel normal and most wouldn't expect a Waterflower to attend a public university. Most of the world forgot she existed, even the paparazzi didn't bother to go after her once they had learned she was low-key and unwilling to reveal any information on her idol family. Misty knew she could unload a PR mess at any time _if_ she was hateful but that wasn't her style. She didn't want to bring unwanted attention, even if her sisters did deserve it at times. Someone had to protect them.

A light breeze interrupted her thoughts. She caught sight of other students hugging their parents or relatives goodbye. A small smile appeared on her face, wishing that was the case with her sisters before rushing back into the building she was about to call home.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Before anything, thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited this story so far! Thank you all for being so patient and for your kind words, I really appreciate it! I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

* * *

 **Crossroads - Chapter 1**

Misty was busy setting up kitchenware until a girl in red flashed by, practically throwing the box on the floor.

"Sorry, be back!" a peppy voice piped before rushing out of the dorm. "Hurry up, Max!"

"Okay, okay! Sheesh," retorted a younger boy with dark hair and large glasses carrying a giant box. He seemed to be a high-schooler from Misty's observation. He noticed her presence. "Oh, hey. I guess you're May's roommate, huh?"

"Well, I'd be in the wrong dorm if I wasn't," chuckled Misty.

"Fair enough."

"Max!"

"Okay!"

"Go easy on your brother," laughed their father, holding two boxes stacked each other. "Oh hello, I didn't think a roommate would be here already!"

"Ah. Hello," Misty greeted. "I'm Misty."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Norman! Over there is my son Max, and you'll meet my wife and May soon enough."

"You got that last one, dear?" A woman came into the dorm, carrying a box.

"I think so!" May replied, coming back into the dorm. She was a brunette with blue eyes. Her red headband and sporty attire stood out. Misty quickly noted she appeared to be friendly. "Oh hi! I'm May."

"Misty. Do you need help unloading?"

"That's okay. We got everything now but how sweet of you to ask! I'm Caroline," she said, placing the box down. "That's everything, dear. We'll miss you!" The mother didn't hesitate to hug her daughter. Soon enough, her family joined in the embrace.

"Just call if you need anything."

"I will, thank you all for helping. I'll miss you." May hugged her family one last time before they waved goodbye. "I love you!"

Once they were gone, May said, "Sorry for the loudness! It gets kinda crazy. They don't give us enough time!"

"Don't worry about it. Your family seems nice."

May nodded cheerfully. "Yeah, they're pretty great."

"You're lucky," Misty noted with a soft smile.

May stared at Misty curiously. She was tempted to ask about her family but she had a feeling Misty was not close to her family. _'It would be inappropriate to ask. Too early,'_ May thought to herself. "So, where are you from?"

"Cerulean City in Kanto."

"Really?! Oh, I've heard such nice things about it! I'm from Petalburg in Hoenn."

"Hoenn sounds like a really cool place, I've never gone."

"You'll like it! It's kind of a regular city but it has its charm."

 _Thud!_

Their eyes glanced over to the door where a tall brunette in sunglasses stood. She had a light pink camo and denim jeans. Like May, her hair was styled very particularly. Pink bubblegum popped between her lips. "Hey."

The two lifted their hands to greet her. The third girl scanned her two roommates and then nodded. After taking off her sunglasses she said, "Oh, there's one missing."

On that cue, a purple haired girl slid into the room with her boxes on wheels. Misty thought May looked athletic but this girl looked far more fit than any of them. She had very long dark purple hair; her yellow hairbands somehow carried the weight of her hair. Like Misty, she also wore yellow, but hers was a lighter tone. "Looks like we're all here! I'm Iris."

"Right. I'm Melody."

After Misty and May introduced themselves, May wondered aloud, "So, whose room is whose?"

"I'll room with her," Melody replied, nodding to Misty's direction. She didn't hesitate to lift her box and carried it into the left bedroom. "I'm taking the top bunk, by the way."

"Fine by me," Misty shrugged, heading back into the kitchen to continue setting up the kitchen.

"Well, I guess we're rooming together." Iris said to May. "Need help with those boxes?"

"If you're okay with helping, thank you." May replied cheerfully. Her azure eyes lit up in amazement when Iris easily lifted a box of May's. "Wow, you're really gonna have to tell me your workout routine."

"It's nothing too bad, I'll be glad to show ya later."

"Really? Yay, I'm looking forward to it already."

"I'm glad someone's finally showing interest!" Iris's brown eyes were gleaming.

"Why's that?"

"Well, other people have said it can be kinda _intense_ ," Iris said nervously.

May froze, mentally wondering if she had made a mistake. "I-is t-that right?"

Iris laughed. "Aw, you'll be fine!"

* * *

A tall, lone young man approached the building in front of him. His dark eyes scanned his phone to confirm the right address and it seemed to be correct. He knew how smalls dorm can be, at least from what his brother had told him. Paul was the type of person who preferred his own company. Unfortunately for him, he was not approved for a solo apartment.

By the time he went inside, there was already more noise than he could imagine. Most of it was from moving and arranging furniture or people talking in loud tones. He never understood why people found it necessary to pack so much given the lack of space. A suitcase (or two) or a few boxes seem reasonable, but anymore than that was excessive in his eyes. Paul was the kind of person who traveled light and didn't keep much at home.

After an elevator ride a few minutes later, he spotted his dorm number.

"That must be him!" a voice chirped. Before Paul could react, a strange green haired young man pulled him into the main room of their dorm and spun around. "Welcome, welcome!"

"Really?! How do you know, Cilan?" a younger man asked with excitement, his brown eyes lit up.

"Well you see, Ash," Cilan started as he adjusted his pale green bow tie, "the purple hair says it all!"

"Do you know him?" asked a deadpan green haired young man. His arms were crossed; it was obvious he was not amused with the other two. He was dressed in a black shirt, lavender jacket, and sea-green pants. If there was one word Paul could describe this guy's clothing, it was _pathetic_.

"Ah, but of course, Drew!" Cilan motioned with a perky pose. "He's none other than Reggie's younger brother!"

"... There must be a mistake," Paul stated, moving back to the door and re-confirming the dorm number. _'You have got to be kidding.'_

"Nonsense! You are indeed in the correct dormitory, my boy!" Cilan then paused and then bowed. "I must apologize for I have not introduced myself! I am Cilan from Striaton City in Unova!"

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in Kanto!" Ash greeted happily. He was wearing a black shirt with an open blue and white jacket along with jeans. "It's nice to meet ya!"

"And I'm Drew from LaRousse City in Hoenn," Drew added, making a mental note he was glad he wasn't the only one to suffer. He didn't move from his spot by the window.

Paul didn't answer any of them and simply walked by with his rolling suitcase into one of the bedrooms. "What's his problem?" he heard Ash mutter before shutting the door.

"Oh my, it seems Reggie was correct after all." Cilan placed his hand under his chin. After noticing Ash's confused expression, he said, "I recall him saying Paul doesn't socialize much. But not to worry! We shall make the best of it."

"Now that he picked a room, can we settle where the rest of us will sleep?" Drew questioned.

Ash agreed. "So who's gonna room with Paul then?"

"I'll do it," Drew replied coolly. As much as Drew didn't want to, he knew he was the only candidate. There would be chaos if it was Ash, or worse, Cilan. Drew cringed at the thought. _'No one would ever sleep.'_ Drew cleared his throat to distract from his thoughts. "It would be the right choice."

"Well, I can't exactly argue with that," Cilan nodded with a nervous smile. "So it looks like we shall be roommates, Ash!"

"Yeah! It's gonna be great!" The two did not waste time rushing to their bedroom to properly organize leaving Drew shaking his head.

* * *

"How are you doing, dear?" an older woman asked as she cheerfully led down the hall with a few boxes in her hands.

"Uh, great! No problem at all!" piped a young blue haired woman, struggling to keep up. Dawn was gritting through her teeth. She didn't want to admit to her own her mother she over-packed despite her warning and refused her help earlier. She was thankful there was an elevator in this building but it still didn't stop her from desperately trying to push her three suitcases. _'Geez! Why did I think this was a good idea? Seriously Dawn?'_

"Dawn, I found your dorm number!" she heard her mother call ahead as she entered. "Oh how cute!"

"Be right there, Mom!" Time was running out for her mother's car to stay. Dawn was already sweating from the physical activity.

"Need help?" A young woman with short bright orange hair was standing next to her.

Dawn took a quick moment to study her appearance: an orange puffy vest, a long sleeved burgundy shirt, blue jeans, brown boots, and with her accessories as sunglasses, a beige necklace, and a pink watch. _'Not bad, it all kinda works together. I wonder if she's-'_ She then noticed the young woman was waiting for her response. "I mean, uh, yeah! Thank you!"

"So what's your name? I'm Zoey by the way," she said with a warm smile, pulling one of the suitcases with ease.

"Dawn," she answered in awe. "Either I'm dumb for over-packing or everyone in this building is fit."

"Lemme guess, fashion design?"

"Oh wow, how'd you know?"

"I had a feeling. That's my major," Zoey claimed.

"Really, you too? That's great!" Dawn was very glad to find someone who shared her major on her first day of university. "So which dorm are you in? I'm in 3B."

"Aw, too bad, I'm on the next floor. I just wanted to see if anyone needed help. I've already unpacked... well, until FedEx ships the rest of my stuff."

"Oh geez, I should have done that," Dawn commented. "Wait, what time did you have to come in?"

"Six in the morning," Zoey sighed, rolling her eyes. "I mean, it worked out but getting up was a hassle."

"Wow, I can imagine. I'm not a morning person."

"Is anyone?"

The two grinned at each other.

"Well, hello there miss!" A young man with dark green hair greeted in front of the two. He had a lanky appearance. "It appears you require my help, is that right?"

"And who are you?" Zoey dryly asked. She was unimpressed.

He ignored Zoey and rushed over to Dawn, adjusting his thick glasses. "Conway is the name, a pleasure."

"Oh, nice to meet you, I'm Dawn," she answered nervously, taking a step back. _'There's something off about this guy.'_

"I see you're struggling with that suitcase. Have no fear! I shall assist!" Conway cracked his knuckles, stepping in front of the suitcase. With both hands, he attempted to carry the suitcase to no avail. The bag was far too heavy for him to even push it. Dawn carried a flabbergasted expression while Zoey had her arms crossed and shook her head.

"Dawn, there you are!" Johanna said, walking up to the three. "You made friends already, how nice."

"Aha, you must be Dawn's mother, am I correct? Well, well! A pleasure to meet-!" Conway started before Dawn pushed him away.

"Oh Mom, would you look at the time? It's time for ya to go!"

Conway pouted while Zoey gave him a somewhat sympathetic smile.

"Oh, you're right, dear. Well, you take care of yourself!" Johanna pulled her daughter close for a last embrace. "Love you, and remember dear, do your best. Call if you need anything or just want to talk."

Dawn nodded with a warm smile. She always appreciated how level-headed her mother was. She knew today would be difficult for her mother although Dawn wanted to make today as easy as possible for her all so she wouldn't feel troubled. Dawn could be a bit stubborn at times although she had to admit she was going to miss her mother. She was absolutely going to call her later. "I will, Mom. Love you, and no need to worry!"

 _'That's when I worry the most.'_ Her mother thought as she waved goodbye and walked towards the elevator. She didn't want to admit that to her daughter, at least not for today; Johanna figured there was more than enough for Dawn to handle for today.

Despite being genuinely happy for her daughter, she knew today would be the last day to see Dawn in person for a long time. She figured it would be difficult because she had raised Dawn on her own. Her husband passed away when Dawn was too young to remember. It had always been the two of them until this day; Johanna had no interest in dating. For her, Dawn was the most important person in the world and she was always content with the way life had been. Images of a younger Dawn flashed into her mind, replaying old cherished memories. Despite her daughter being an adult, it was hard for Johanna not to constantly view Dawn as a five year old. She knew life was like that sometimes where moments are forever imprinted into your life. No one had warned her that today would be the most difficult day by far. It felt quite bittersweet.

Now, watching the faces of young adults moving into the building pulled her heartstrings even more. Tears were starting to form but she wouldn't allow herself to cry until she was alone in her car.


End file.
